Sarangan Travel Guide

Remotely situated on the Central Java/East Java border in the center of the island, Sarangan is a pretty little hill station that is surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and lakes.

Worth It?: Yes, as a side trip from Madiun or Solo.
What to Do: visiting Sarangan Lake, hiking.
Best Time to Go: May through to October has the driest weather in this part of Java.
How Long?: One day or night in Sarangan is enough.
Trivia: Sarangan lies at an altitude of 1,287m above sea level.

Sarangan rests on the southern slopes of Mount Lawu at around 1,300m, which makes it significantly cooler than the lowlands of Central and West Java. The village makes a good stop-off for those traveling between the towns of Madiun anid Solo and features the serene Sarangan Lake as one of its highlights.

The village is loaded with guest houses and hotels that cater mainly to group tours. Leading up to the town are row after row of terraced cabbages, potatoes and many other types of vegetable.

Sarangan also makes for a decent side trip after visiting nearby the 15th century temples of Candi Ceto and Candi Sukuh.

Travel to Sarangan - Getting There

The main airport in the region is Yogyakarta Airport, about 200kms to the west in Central Java. It receives direct flights from Jakarta in an hour, although bus transfer times to Sarangan are quite long. Most people visit from the town of Solo, or from Madiun with its small Madiun-Iswahyudi Airport.

Sarangan Things to Do

Sarangan Attractions

Sarangan Lake

the main attraction in this remote hill station is several kilometers across and is surrounded by dense vegetation and a number of resorts and guest houses.

Side trips from Sarangan

Candi Ceto and Candi Sukuh: these popular villages are known for their many 15th century temples and are about 10kms away from Sarangan; the latter usually being the side trip.